Cortes Island
M̓i tel'nexw Leadership Transformation
With Chepximiya Siyam' Hereditary Chief Janice George, Squamish Nation, Skwetsimeltxw Willard ‘Buddy’ Joseph, Squamish Nation, Ta7talíya Michelle Nahanee, Squamish Nation and Lloyd James Attig, Muskoday First Nation, Plains Cree
Work Exchange
2024 Hollyhock Holiday
INTERNAL HOLIDAY PAGE Reconnect to yourself and nature in our spectacular West Coast island setting. Take a breath of fresh air outside of the city, and enjoy the serenity and beauty of our local landscape. Our holiday packages include: Accommodations A variety of accommodations are located throughout our lush campus, ranging in price to suit […]
2025 Hollyhock Holiday
INTERNAL HOLIDAY PAGE Reconnect to yourself and nature in our spectacular West Coast island setting. Take a breath of fresh air outside of the city, and enjoy the serenity and beauty of our local landscape. Our holiday packages include: Accommodations A variety of accommodations are located throughout our lush campus, ranging in price to suit […]
MOTH- Private Gathering
With Khari Wendell McClelland and Nadia Chaney
Internal program page for MOTHs group retreat. Participants can book using the 'register as guest' link. This page will not go live on the website.
Being Human Takes Practice
With Jeff Warren
Join writer and meditation teacher Jeff Warren for a journey through the core skills of meditation practice and what they have to teach us about being human. These skills lie at the headwaters of mental and emotional and spiritual health. Through a mix of guided, seated and movement meditation, nature practice, small group sharing and […]
More-Than-Human Rights: Pushing the Boundaries of Law, Science & Storytelling to Re-Animate the World
With Monica Gagliano, César Rodríguez-Garavito, Cosmo Sheldrake and Merlin Sheldrake
Explore the ideas and actions on rights of nature that are helping re-enchant the world in a stunning natural setting with César Rodríguez-Garavito, Merlin Sheldrake, Monica Gagliano, Cosmo Sheldrake and the More-Than-Human Rights collective. What does it mean to treat animals, plants, fungi, rivers, forests, oceans, and other more-than-human beings as subjects of rights? Through […]
Dancing from the Inside Out
With Margie Gillis
Move into your body’s experiential wisdom and reveal the soul in motion. Refine your sensitivity to the connection between thought, feeling, spirit and body as you listen in to your body’s inner wisdom, impulses, conversations and emotions. Becoming sensitive to and engaging with this inner life provides information both for expanding well-being, as well as […]
Singing in the Vocal River
With Rhiannon
Hear your own song and learn new ones as you find your place in the world of music and invention. Co-create vocal magic in a safe, dynamic circle of singers, delving into the possibilities of spontaneous composition and the language of storytelling. Working alone, in pairs, and in ensemble, meld intuition and invention with skill […]
Ebb & Flow: Kayaking & Yoga Practice (July)
With Kai Harvey
Immerse yourself in the rhythms of the natural world and the ebb and flow of the Salish Sea. Hollyhock, located on the southern coastline of Cortes Island (on the unceded land of the toq qaymɩxʷ (Klahoose), ɬəʔamɛn qaymɩxʷ (Tla’amin), and ʔop qaymɩxʷ (Homalco) Nations) is an ideal basecamp and launch point for kayaking adventures. Against […]
Pwātamowin - the act of dreaming - A Yogic retreat
With Malina Dawn
Pwātamowin is a Cree word meaning “the act of dreaming.” But this is not the kind of dreaming you do when you sleep; it is akin to catching visions. This planet needs more healed people and a big part of that process is us being able to catch a beautiful and powerful healing vision for […]
Slow Art, Somatic Practice, and Creative Rest
With Shauna Kaendo, Registered Art Therapist | BFA, RCAT and Trudi Smith, Registered Clinical Counsellor | MC, MA, PhD
Being in conversation with art, process, and our bodies. In this therapeutic arts program, we offer a blend of creative care practices…getting curious about what that can look and feel like, both individually and in community. Through creative meanderings with solo and collective art-making processes like bilateral drawing, stick brush making, sculptural wrapping, watercolour and […]
Living the Legacy: Honoring the Life & Teachings of Atum O’Kane
With Margie Gillis, Kairn Mahon Carrington, Oriane Lee Johnston and Steven Flynn
Led by a group of Atum O'Kane's students and soul friends, journey deeper into the practices shared by Atum and be held in sacred community. We know from experience there is exponential power in doing these practices as a collective, in sacred space. Now is the time, as his son Emmanuel reminds us, "to put […]
Women+ in Climate: Leading with Light
With Hollyhock Leadership Institute
Radical Dharma: Conversation
With Rev. angel Kyodo williams Roshi
It’s time to create the conditions that reimagine a path of healing, reconnect with authentic community, and manifest true justice. Radical dharma (“complete truth”) is a way to enter the critical conversation about how the legacy of racial injustice and white supremacy plays out and prevents our collective awakening. We can only accomplish shifts in […]
Four Agreements for a Better Life
With don Jose Ruiz and don Miguel Ruiz Jr.
"Everything we do is based on agreements we have made - agreements with ourselves, with other people, with God, with life. But the most important agreements are the ones we make with ourselves. In these agreements we tell ourselves who we are, how to behave, what is possible, what is impossible. One single agreement is […]
Discover Cortes: Adventures in Nature (July)
With Bill Ophoff
The natural world is your classroom as you hike, kayak, and sail amid the wild beauty of Cortes Island. Discover the flora and fauna of both land and sea along with local history and geological phenomena as you adventure forth with Hollyhock's knowledgeable, fun-loving naturalist. Explore ancient forests, sandy beaches, colourful tide pools, windswept bluffs, […]
Nature Paints Itself
With Jeremy Herndl
What if the world created us humans to speak its names, sing its rivers and winds? What if nature paints itself, using our deft human hands and the tactility of sight to emulate its textures, colours and spaces? In this workshop we shall enter the space of nature, the garden, forest and ocean and paint […]
Between the Human Animal & the Animate Earth
With David Abram
How can we open a fresh and unshakeable solidarity between ourselves and the other animals, plants, and elemental forces that compose this breathing biosphere? The deepening contortions of climate change – intensifying droughts, monster floods, flaring wildfires and heart-wrenching geopolitical cataclysms – all ensure that our species is tumbling toward a sea change of immense […]
Locus Amoenus: Exploring Organic and Artificial Systems in Art
With Rebecca Brewer and Veit Laurent Kurz
How can we, as physical beings in an increasingly digital world, reclaim the intimate, tactile gestures of our hands? Can we react to the vast, almost cosmic scale of artificial intelligence with grounded, human-centered creative acts? In this hands-on, visual arts workshop, participants explore the underlying connections between living systems and technological processes, uncovering innovative […]
Becoming One with the Spirit of the Drum
With Gordy Onayemi Ryan and Zoë Ryan
Activate the Fire in your hands, the Beat in your feet, and the Song in your Heart on this soulful journey in Rhythm in the iconic Olatunji Hall. Drum, dance and sing to increase the flow of vital energy in your body and open your ears to the beauty of rhythms and songs from many […]
Science, Art, Sound & the Sacred
With Merlin Sheldrake and Cosmo Sheldrake
Explore the entanglements between science, art, sound, and the sacred in a beautiful, wild setting. What we call art and science both arise from our faculties of imagination, wonder, and curiosity. We will spend part of our time outdoors – in gardens, on seashores and in forests – connecting with the more-than-human world and bringing […]
2025 Program Template
With Hollyhock Leadership Institute
Bold first sentence. Include a short program description of 1-2 paragraphs, around 250 words. An ideal program description should provide a concise overview of the event, making it easy for potential participants to understand the value it offers. Be sure to include key details: the presenter's name, program content, location, and the program's potential benefits. […]
Effortless Mindfulness Embodied: Awakening, Glimpse by Glimpse
With Loch Kelly
Apply here to attend What would the world be like if each of us discovered for ourselves how to live an awakened life? Awakening begins with a shift out of our small, separate sense of self, to discover an “awake” consciousness that we sense has been there all along. When we begin to inhabit this […]
In These Bodies, On These Lands: Iyengar Yoga and art-making
With Jennifer Van de Pol
Learn Iyengar Yoga posture and breathing practices to support, enliven, and uplift your creative practice/s. Experience ways to integrate journaling/writing, drawing, and intuitive painting with movement (Asana) and breath (Pranayama) rooted in this Yoga tradition. Try out various approaches to making and moving in an encouraging, nourishing environment. As a professional artist, Jennifer’s drawings, performances, […]
Salish Shorelines: A Saltwater Journey
With Jonas Fineman and Kai Harvey
Join Cortes Island guides and mariners for a kayaking exploration of the Salish Sea surrounding the renowned Hollyhock Campus. Each day’s adventure offers a safe and comprehensive foray into the seascapes and histories of Desolation Sound and the Discovery Islands. Launching from various beaches around Cortes Island as well as from the 43 foot schooner […]
Nature & Nurture Yoga: Embracing Abundance
With Fiji McAlpine
Embrace the abundance of August in the Pacific Northwest on spectacular Cortes Island. Summer is the season to savour the fruits of the year's growth. The warm air is thick with the smell of sweet berries, and the forests are vibrant and lush. Each day you will be nourished with exquisite food, invigorated by dynamic […]
Tantra: Freedom, Embodiment, and Transformation
With Sravana Borkataky-Varma
Have you ever dived into the ocean of Tantra? Have you experienced the weaving of the world? Join scholar-practitioners Sravana Borkataky-Varma and Keith Edward Cantú as we explore Tantric practices and perspectives on topics like freedom from external interference and self-sovereignty (Sanskrit svādhikāra), the link between physical and so-called “subtle bodies,” and the creation of […]
Dzogchen: The Three Statements that Strike the Crucial Point
With Lama Tsultrim Allione
“I gained so much for my meditation practice and feel so supported and somehow I feel different in the world since then. What I experienced cannot be put into words.” - past participant The Three Statements were the final teaching of Garab Dorje, after he passed away, when he appeared in the rainbow body to […]
2025 Canadian Psychedelic Summit
With Hollyhock Leadership Institute and Kim Haxton
Register for the 2025 Canadian Psychedelic Summit! What to Expect Led by facilitator and ceremonial practitioner Kim Haxton, our time together will center the embodied knowledge of Indigenous peoples, creating space for ceremony, storytelling, and connection with ourselves, one another, and the natural world. With these foundations in place, we will lean into tough conversations […]
Whole Human Health
With Lawrence Cheng, MD, CCFP(EM), MPH and Devon Christie, MD, CCFP, RTC
The Whole Human Health Retreat is a transformative five-day journey into the science and art of optimizing well-being at every level—physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. Guided by Dr. Lawrence Cheng and Dr. Devon Christie, this immersive program integrates functional medicine, mind-body practices, and cutting-edge approaches like precision medicine to empower you with the tools to […]
Connecting to Source: Yoga, Meditation, Ritual
With Mara Branscombe
Since ancient times, the human collective has aligned with the seasons, the elements, the rhythms of the sun, the moon, and the earth as a way to source pure energy and connect to one’s inner compass. The mind-body science of yoga, combined with the practice of meditation, breath-work, and the alchemy of earth based rituals […]
Authenticity in an Artificial World: Mindfulness, Emotion, and Meaning
With Dave Smith
As we become endlessly distracted by the artificial, the search for authenticity becomes vital. Contentment, meaning, and purpose have become fleeting ideas of a world forgotten. It does not have to be this way. The world-over is saturated with contemplative practices, structures of philosophy, and therapeutic methods that can point us directly towards personal transformation. […]
Harmony Within: A Journey of Songwriting and Reconnection
With Leah Abramson and Samantha Parton
Songwriting is a powerful tool for self-expression and connection with our deepest thoughts and feelings. The Harmony Within workshop explores songwriting as a medium, a practice, and a journey through which we can reconnect with our creative source, our vulnerability, and our inner wisdom, harnessing the healing power of music to illuminate, transform, and transcend […]
SoulCollage®: An Enchanting Path to Inner Wisdom & Creativity
With Kimberly Lee, J.D.
Embark on an enlightening journey of self-discovery, guided by the power of your own intuition and creativity. In this immersive workshop, you’ll discover your own inner wisdom through the unique, inspiring SoulCollage® method. This fun personal practice harnesses the magic of images, intuition, and imagination to create simple collages that represent facets of your unique […]
The Art of Leadership
With Suzanne Hawkes and Michael Bell
Participation is by application. Click here to apply! Are you committed to making a difference in the world? In social change, socially responsible business, education, politics or community service? Learn to inspire, engage and collaborate with others in effective action to broaden the impact of your work together. Come participate in an intensive process of […]
Kindred Group Retreat
Internal program page for Kindred's group retreat. Participants can book using the 'register as guest' link. This page will not go live on the website. Daily Schedule A detailed schedule will be emailed to you about 30 days prior to your program. Click here to view a sample program schedule.
Nourished Woman Goddess Retreat
With Abneet Kaur Sandhar
Aligned. Knowing. Full Bloom Radiance. Clear. Shining. Grounded. These qualities all exist within us, yet for so many women, we feel depleted and defeated. Our attention is being pulled in many different directions, with a low-grade fever of constant overwhelm. We may feel racked with guilt, shame, and comparison, constantly feeling we don't 'measure up'. […]
Psoma: Discover When the Body Says Yes
With Donna Martin & Shelley Winton
What if we can learn to accompany someone on their healing journey without any suggestion of something wrong, something to fix? How can we recognize healing as an inside job - the unfolding of our intrinsic and natural wholeness? How can we learn to be the kind of presence that is itself a powerful healing […]
Essential Somatics: Free Your Movement!
With Martha Peterson
If you have “tried everything” to relieve your chronic muscle or joint pain for the long term and have only experienced short term relief (or none at all), then this 5-day immersion is for you. Come and learn how to restore freedom of movement, resolve chronic muscle tension, so you can live more fully. Eliminating […]
Presence Psychotherapy Training: Integrate Spirituality With Trauma Work (28 CE Credits)
With Michelle Lepak
Note: Continuing Education Credits available. See below for details. Presence Psychotherapy is a Comprehensive trauma treatment model that integrates spirituality, internal inquiry, and relational attunement to process the many layers and nuance of trauma. Presence Psychotherapy, published in the APA Journal of Integrative Psychotherapy and the International Journal of Trauma Care, provides a process that […]
Activate: Digital Leadership 2025
With Hollyhock Leadership Institute and Khari Wendell McClelland
Becoming a Spiritual Healer Level I: The Essentials (Sept. 2025)
With Julie Kramer
Program description at external website: https://juliemkramer.com/offering/becoming-a-spiritual-healing-practitioner-level-i-the-essentials/?v=5435c69ed3bc Daily Schedule A detailed program schedule will be made available in advance of the program.
Social Venture Institute 2025 - Hollyhock
With Hollyhock Leadership Institute and Vanessa Richards
The Art of Resting Well
With Farah Nazarali
Bring your tired and weary souls for a restful, restorative, and rejuvenating retreat that is an immersion into the art of resting well. This experiential retreat is designed to provide rest for your body, mind, and spirit through land-based and somatic practices--guided beach walks, mindful forest walking, sunset gazing, restorative yoga, yoga nidra, poetry, slow […]
Cultivating Wellbeing for Health Professionals (2025)
With Andrea Grabovac, MD, FRCPC and Erin Burrell, MD, FRCPC
Replenish Yourself and Gain Tools for Living with Intention Join us for this mindfulness-based meditation retreat for health professionals and partners. Come away to the serene shores of Cortes Island to be replenished, restored, and equipped with tools to help navigate life in modern healthcare. This retreat emphasizes connection as key to vitality, and fosters […]
Kintsugi: Embracing Imperfection
With Yuka Morino
Kintsugi, 金継ぎ translated literally from Japanese means "golden joinery". This traditional Japanese art used to repair broken ceramics uses natural materials, like tree sap or urushi lacquer dusted with gold (or other precious metals) to make the cracks, or broken lines beautiful. The cracks are called Keshiki 景色 and in Japanese, mean scenery, landscape or view. […]
Becoming a Spiritual Healer Level I: The Essentials Cohort #2, Year 1
With Julie Kramer
Program description at external website: https://juliemkramer.com/offering/becoming-a-spiritual-healing-practitioner-level-i-the-essentials/?v=5435c69ed3bc Daily Schedule A detailed program schedule will be made available in advance of the program.
Fish as Storytellers: Intangible Knowledge and Lived Practices
With Zoe Todd and Courtney Chetwynd
Drawing inspiration from fish as storytellers in their own right, this workshop will explore storytelling, play, and artistic creation as tools for sense-making. Through interactive dialogue, collective visioning sessions, collaborative art-making, and land-based reflection, participants will explore how diverse relationships in their lives give rise to profound knowledge in storied and tacit ways. This workshop […]
From Roots to Reach: Transpirational Growth for Social Ecosystems
With Nadia Chaney and M. Rako Fabionar
You know your work is powerful. Your methods are solid, your impact is real, and you're making a difference. But here's the thing we've both noticed after years of working with organizations, activists, artists, and changemakers: too often, doing transformative work comes at a high cost to our own wellness and that of our teams. […]
Eldering in Times of Transformation
With Cheryl Rose, Zhiish McKenzie and al etmanski
“A human being would certainly not grow to be seventy or eighty years old if this longevity had no meaning for the species.” - Carl Jung There comes a time when you find yourself, perhaps to your surprise, in a new land which is unlike any part of the long life journey you’ve made so […]
Beloved Community Bootcamp: A Training for Bridge-Builders
With Lisa Gibson and Gabe Wilson
This 5-day immersive training is designed specifically for facilitators, coaches, and leaders who want to elevate their ability to navigate complex group dynamics and support productive inter-group exchange in an increasingly polarized world. We believe that improving your capacity to lead in these challenging times requires relating to conflict facilitation as a pathway of self-discovery. […]
Qi Medicine: A Silent Qigong and Tea Ceremony Retreat
With Stephanie Nosco and Catherine (Cat) Reynolds
Experience the medicine of qigong, tea, and nature on this transformative inner journey back to yourself. Join Qigong teacher, author, and psychotherapist Stephanie Nosco, alongside Tea Ceremonialist and Eco-Somatic guide Catherine Reynolds, for this special silent retreat exploring the art of Qigong and the medicine of Tea Ceremony. We will practice in social silence, encouraging […]
Wild Mushrooms and the Mycology of Consciousness
With Jim Gouin and David Sumerlin
With Special Guest Paul Stamets Save the world, one mushroom at a time. Fungi, particularly mushrooms, offer powerful, practical solutions to enhance both human and ecosystem health. Through lecture, discussion, and foraging: Learn easy-to-grow cultivation methods using a hands-on approach. Gain the skills to identify at least twenty-five species of mushroom, both wild and cultivated. Delve […]
Your True Nature: A Cold Immersion & Breathwork Retreat
With Cian Dalton & Carolyn Schmidt
This retreat invites you to slow down, reconnect, and return to your true nature — through the embodied tools of breathwork, assisted stretching, intuitive movement, and cold immersion. In the pace of everyday life, it’s easy to lose touch with the deeper intelligence of the body. This retreat offers a spacious opportunity to breathe, move, […]
AI for Flourishing: Weaving Wisdom & Technology
With Hollyhock Leadership Institute
“As we walk the tightrope of planetary-scale transformation, it's becoming clear that we need to upgrade not just our technologies and infrastructures, but our ways of relating – to ourselves, to each other and to the living planet.” - Futurecraft AI for Flourishing is a gathering of technologists, practitioners, founders, policymakers, activists, educators, and artists […]